Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 24, 2013

In my review of Christof Loy’s staging of Handel’s oratorio Theodora, I mentioned the now famous (some might argue infamous) Peter Sellars staging of the same piece. Sellars has long been the enfant terrible of the operatic world, pushing the envelope in a series of vivid reboots that often recast vaunted works in bizarrely contemporary settings (his early production of Antony and Cleopatra in a Harvard swimming pool is just one notable example). But unlike some directors who seem to slather their “vision” on to works that don’t really need that kind of shellacking (in every sense of the term), Sellars actually does more often than not have a salient point of view that is frequently quite provocative albeit shall we say unusual. Sellars’ reimagining of the staid and reverential Theodora has become one of his most celebrated pieces, one that actually helped to resurrect (sorry, considering Theodora’s Christian setting) his reputation at the equally staid and reverential Glyndebourne Festival, where it has entered the repertory there and become a perhaps unexpected hallmark of a kind of New World Order at the venue.

For those wanting a brief summary of the plot of Theodora, I refer you to the review of the Loy staging linked above. Sellars, like Loy, adopts a minimalist tone with regard to staging, offering a stage that is full of what appear to be large and extremely fragile bottles, no doubt an allusion to the transitory nature of power that is at the heart of Handel’s oratorio. The staging is provocative but unobtrusive, leaving the dramatic momentum to the absolutely ravishing voice of Dawn Upshaw and the impeccable playing of The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the assured direction of William Christie. Those who regularly read my opera reviews know I do not suffer so-called Eurotrash gladly, but occasionally a thoughtful reboot comes along that is both meaningful and moving. That is most definitely the case with this fantastic Theodora.

Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Theodora is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kultur International and Warner Classics with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.33:1. This is obviously an older master and has the hallmarks of 3/4 inch video quite a bit of the time. Colors are a bit on the anemic side, but rather surprisingly fine detail pops relatively well in the close-ups. The overall look here is fairly soft (though there does appear to have been some digital sharpening, courtesy of some noticeable haloing at times).

Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Theodora features an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 mix that offers excellent fidelity and extremely well articulated balance between the singers and the orchestra. The sound here is very fluid, never brittle, and reproduces all frequency ranges with clarity and precision.

Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements are offered on this disc.

Handel: Theodora Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

How far can a State go to enforce behavior and/or personal belief? It's a question that's more relevant than ever in this day and age, and this startling reinterpretation of Handel's late masterpiece brings it all home (literally) in a provocative and compelling manner. The video quality here leaves a bit to be desired, but the sound, while narrow, is gorgeous. Recommended.